As the Dating Guy on L.A.‘s top morning show, I give the single guy’s perspective on dating, love, and sex—and I give great advice. Everyone’s hooking up…well, except for me. Sure, I can get any woman I want, but I’ve got a “no relationship” clause in my contract and the only woman I want has “relationship” written all over her. Probably stamped on her ass, too. And wouldn’t I like to confirm that.

Unfortunately, she wants nothing to do with me. At all. Something about the next Ice Age might have even come up in her rebuttal. Adorable. Because she’s determined to ignore what one simple kiss proved: she wants me as badly as I want her.

Everything in me is screaming to go after her, but I’ve got a secret that I’m fairly certain will end up with her roasting my nuts over an open fire. So, job on the line? Check. Nuts on the line? Check. Can’t get her out of my head? Nail…meet coffin. But what a way to go…

Have you seen this cover? When ARCs for this one came up, there was no way I wasn’t going to grab a chance to read it. Did it live up to my expectations?

Yes! This book was really fun and engaging. Any problems I had with it were 100% my own, mainly stemming from the fact that I was so entranced by the cover that I didn’t realize the book was New Adult. Which I don’t usually love, but if they were all like this I might change my mind.

Mateo was a lot of fun. He was sexy (note the abs), funny, smart, and had his shit together. He’s a fairly typical NA romance hero – cocky, hot and aware of it, very popular with the womenfolk, but he’s also genuinely charming and a kind person. Technically, he’s hiding his work identity from Teague, but it’s not really a major point. It never comes up, so he doesn’t technically lie about it, and he’s contractually obligated to keep his identity hidden. It never really becomes a THING, which I so very much appreciated. Mateo isn’t really even all that angsty over it.

Teague, on the other hand, was everything Mateo wasn’t. Well, not everything. She was also smart and funny and was working on getting her shit together. But she was also a little shy, a little more socially awkward, and way less sexually experienced. At first, I wasn’t sure how I was going to like Teague. I’m a little over the shy, awkward clumsy girl who blushes every time someone says a word stronger than “gollydangit” and trips and falls over her own feet every time she stands up, and that’s how Teague comes across in the beginning. And she never did get over her blushing, but she grew on me anyway.

Romances like this are some of my favorites. When Mateo and Teague first meet, it’s a typical lust-at-first-sight for both of them, and while Teague is pretty sure she’s never going to see him again, Mateo is equally confident of the exact opposite. And he turns out to be right. Where this book drastically improved for me, though, was what happened after Mateo and Teague saw each other again. Because they actually dated. They went out on real dates, hung out together, spent the night without having sex, and got to know each other and fall in love with each other over time. Don’t get me wrong; I love me some quick and dirty sex. But I also want to see what a couple loves about each other, and when they jump right into bed (or couch, or wall) and never do anything else, I have to wonder what they really see in each other besides that. Have all the hot sex you want to. Seriously, have all of it. And have it immediately. But go out to dinner once in a while, too. Sit down and actually watch a movie together. Have a conversation that doesn’t involve “cock”, “wet”, “pussy”, or “hard”. Otherwise I close the book fully understanding why a couple wanted to bang, not understanding why they wanted to live together and see each other over the breakfast table every morning.

The side characters weren’t as fully developed as Mateo and Teague, but they were well done enough that I want to read more of this series and see where they go. One of Mateo’s roommates in particular has a story I really want to read more of, so I hope his is coming soon. I liked everyone we met here, even Mateo’s slightly overbearing mother, and that’s saying something. I tend to be really hard on the characters who surround the main couple.

Overall, I fully recommend this book. It was a delightful surprise, and I’m looking forward to reading more of this series and this author.

About Robin Bielman

When not attached to her laptop, USA Today Bestselling Author and RITA Finalist, Robin Bielman can almost always be found with her nose in a book. A California girl, the beach is her favorite place for fun and inspiration. Her fondness for swoon-worthy heroes who flirt and stumble upon the girl they can’t live without jumpstarts most of her story ideas.

She loves to go on adventures, and has skydived, scuba dived, parasailed, gotten lost in the wilderness (and only suffered a gazillion bug bites for it) hiked to waterfalls, and swam with dolphins. In her spare time she also likes to put her treadmill to good use while watching her favorite TV shows, take hikes with her hubby, indulge her sweet tooth, and play sock tug of war with her cute, but sometimes naughty dog, Harry.

She dreams of traveling to faraway places and loves to connect with readers. Keep in touch at all of her social media spots!

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